Why investing in design can be rewarding

Klein House in Selkirk, the Borders, sold for £100,000 above its asking price

None of the people who queued to view Klein House, a single-storey mid-century home, had been to Selkirk in the Scottish Borders before. They were not drawn there because of the location. Klein House was designed in 1957 by the modernist architect Peter Womersley and it is this that caught the eye of prospective buyers. In fact, it gained so much attention that, although being valued at £500,000 by a local surveyor and put on the market at £800,000, it sold for more than £900,000. Such is the premium people are prepared to pay for original architecture and interior decor.

Research by the Modern House, an estate agency, shows that there is at least a 12 per cent price premium for “design-led” properties in London.…

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